The Red Tail Wall
Red Tail Wall in New Mexico has 5 climbing routes with mixed and traditional styles.
- 5 routes
- 5.10 – 5.11
- Trad · Mixed
Best time to visit The Red Tail Wall
Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
37° / 8°
4 wet
Feb
42° / 14°
4 wet
Mar
53° / 21°
5 wet
Apr
62° / 27°
5 wet
May
70° / 35°
5 wet
Jun
80° / 44°
4 wet
Jul
83° / 49°
8 wet
Aug
81° / 48°
9 wet
Sep
75° / 41°
6 wet
Oct
65° / 30°
4 wet
Nov
51° / 19°
4 wet
Dec
38° / 9°
5 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Cerro, NM, 6.9 mi away at 7,650 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Red Tail Wall is a climbing area on Bureau of Land Management land in the Taos Field Office of New Mexico, about 1.7 miles from the Wild and Scenic climbing area. The wall's name comes from the Red Tail route, a trad climb rated 5.10, and the area holds five routes in total, with grades ranging from 5.10 to 5.11. The climbing is all trad, with one mixed route, New Mexican Riviera, at 5.10+. The hardest routes are Cuchillo del Miedo and Serendipity, both 5.11. The wall is a compact cluster of routes rather than a long approach, so it works well as a single-day outing. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from the nearby Cerro weather station, at 7,650 feet, show May highs around 70°F and September highs around 75°F, with July and August bringing the most wet days. Other options sit close by. The Big Arsenic Trail and Red River Fault Loop Trail are both within about 2.5 miles, and the Wild Rivers Recreation Area offers river fishing about 2.6 miles away.
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